


The Ghosts Between Us

by ssironstrange



Series: Resurrected Hearts, Mended Souls [5]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), IronStrange - Fandom, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Feels, Flashbacks, Love, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sad, Trauma, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-13
Updated: 2018-06-13
Packaged: 2019-05-20 19:23:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14900508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ssironstrange/pseuds/ssironstrange
Summary: On the fourth anniversary of Pepper's death, Tony finally feels like he can open up and tell Stephen about what happened and what he lost. It's been 3 years since they started dating, and while curious, Stephen has never pried about her. Much to Stark's surprise, though, he learns of yet another thing they share in common as Strange reluctantly reveals his own former love died that very same day.





	The Ghosts Between Us

It was a stunningly beautiful day.  
Scarcely a cloud in the sky allowed the warm mid-May sun to beat down with a soft and cool breeze to chase away any excessive heat. Green had exploded over the landscape along with flowers springing up in any patch of grass to be found in the concrete jungle of the city. Birds twittered and sang back and forth between the trees and shrubs, helping to drown out the constant background noise of New York City.  
It had no right being so gorgeous when it was the anniversary of the end of the world. His world, at least. This was almost how it was the day it happened, he knew they would be out in the park jogging or trying to follow along to a yoga class or maybe even at the beach.  
Instead, Tony stood silently before an elegant headstone cut out of white marble with rosey veins webbing throughout the stone with a fresh bouquet of white lilies placed in a vase beside it. Set into the marble, the photo of a young woman with fair freckled skin and long strawberry blonde hair, her eyes as bright blue as the sky and her smile warmer than a ray of sunshine. Beneath her picture, the arc reactor she had first saved his life with. Though set into the stone and sealed behind enamel, he’d rigged up a way to ensure it would always stay lit up and at least faintly active. Engraved around it simply read: “Proof that Pepper Potts has my heart. Always.” The rest of the engraved words didn’t matter. He knew the dates. He knew who she was and who survived her. Anyone who didn’t had apparently been under a rock for the last ten years. She tamed him. She was his steady rock. She was his entire world, And, more times than once, his savior. Theirs was going to be a wedding to rival the royals across the pond.  
And then Thanos happened.

Tony felt his hands shaking, fists balled so hard his knuckles were white and nails digging into his own palms. From behind another pair of hands that shook even worse took gentle hold of his fists and soon thereafter was the warmth of another body pressed against his own. Stark let his hands relax and with one he laced his fingers together with the silvery-scarred digits.  
“Stephen,” Tony sighed heavily, leaning back against him. “You didn’t have to come.”  
Strange let go of Tony’s other hand and simply wrapped his arm across his chest to pull him close, then pressed a kiss into his hair.  
“You say that every year.”  
Tony’s shoulders lifted, tensed, then shuddered back down as his last thread of resolve snapped. Stephen’s hand was released before he spun around within the arm holding him to plant his face into the sorcerer’s shoulder where heaving sobs could be muffled and hidden. Strange held him there in a tight embrace, silent, patient, and completely heartbroken that the man he loved more than anything in this world had to be plagued by so much loss and pain.


End file.
